Sheet-registering mechanism.



Nd. 763,160. PATENTED JUNE 21, 1904.

. P. L. GROSS.

SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

No. 763,160 I PATENTED JUNE 21, 1904:.

F. L. (moss. SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIONIILED JULY 12, 1902. 7 NO MODEL. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 /VA////%//// k Q 7 T 7 nu nn,

N Q a. h x 0 Y m W ruz u'onms virus 06.: Moro-urns. WASHINGYON UNITED STATES Patented June 21, 190

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. CROSS, OF MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PAPER FEEDER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF MAINE.

SHEET-REGISTERING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,160, dated June 21, 1904:.

Application filed July 12, 1902. Serial No. 115,310. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK L. CRoss, of Mystic, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in Sheet- Registering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet-registering mechanism for use in printing, folding, and

other sheet-handling machines to bring the sheets accurately into position with relation to the mechanism for acting thereon.

In practicing the invention the sheet is brought into position with its edge against a 5 fixed gage by the action of a reciprocating gripper, one of whose jaws is a roll. With this construction of gripper the pressure between the jaws of the gripper may be accurately adjusted to grip the sheet with sufficient force to start and move the sheet against the gage, and when the movement of the sheet is arrested by the gage the roll will turn to allow the gripper to move relatively to the sheet without crumpling the edge againstthe gage. The frictional resistance offered by the roller-jaw to the movement of the gripper relatively to the sheet after it strikes the fixed gage depends upon the friction on the bearings of the roller, and consequently no 3 variations in the pressure between the gripper-jaws is required in acting upon different qualities of paper, as would be the case where the frictional resistance to relative movement between a gripper and sheet varied with the character of the surface of the sheet.

The various features of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description of the mechanism in which I have embodied them and will be pointed out in the 4 claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of view with the parts in a different position. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same, and Fig. 6 is detail. I

In the drawings the features of invention are shown embodied in mechanism for effecting the side register of the sheets fed to a printing-press.

A indicates the feed table or guides, over which the sheets are fed into position in front of the front guides or gages B of the press. After a sheet has come to rest with its front edge resting against the gages B it is acted upon by the side register devices, which move it laterally into 'the proper position to be seized by the grippers or other sheet-carrying devices of the printing-press. The lateral position of the sheet is accurately determined by a fixed gage C, against which the edge of 5 the sheet is drawn by a reciprocating gripper, the jaws of which slip over the sheet when the edge engages and is arrested by the fixed gage. The fixed gage C is formed on a plate C, mounted to slide in a transverse slot 7 A, formed in the table A, so that the position of the gage may be adjusted as desired, and the plate is clamped in its adjusted position by a clamping-plate C and thumb-screw C The gripper for drawing the edge of the sheet against the fixed gage consists of a lower jaw D,arranged to slide in a groove C, formed in the plate C, and an upper jaw D, movable to and from the lowerjaw, consisting of a roll D. The jaws are carried by a bracket D adjustably secured upon a reciprocating bar E extending transversely above the table A. The jaw D is in the form of a rigid finger eXtendinglate-rally from the lower end of the bracket, while the jaw D is carried by a lever. 5 D pivoted on a stud D secured in the bracket. The pivoted jaw D is pressed toward the stationary jaw D by a torsional spring D one end of which is connected to the lever D and the other end of which is 9 connected with a collar D, mounted on the stud D". The collar is held from rotation by a pin D which engages notches D in the collar. The tension of the sprlng may be adjusted by pressing the collar inward to disengage the pin and then turning the collar and rcengaging the pin with the notches.

On the forward stroke of the gripper the jaw D is held away from the jaw D against the tension of the spring D by a latch D, which engages a recess 1) in the rear end of lever D The latch is in the form of a roll carried by a lever D, pivoted to bracket D As the gripper reaches the end of its forward movement a pin D on the lever D strikes a stop C adjustably secured on plate C, and is swung back. This releases the lever D and allows the spring D to operate the jaw D to grip the sheet which lies between the jaws D and D. The gripper is now retracted. As the gripper starts back the resistance of the sheet tends to rotate the roller-jaw D, and this tendency is resisted by the friction on the roller-bearing. This friction is suflicient to prevent rotation of the roll, so that the sheet is moved with the gripper until its edge strikes the gage (1. hen the movement of the sheet is thus arrested, the frictional resist: ance to the rotation of the roller-jaw is overcome and the gripper continues its movement, leaving the sheet with the edge resting snugly against the gage. As the gripper reaches the limit of its rearward stroke the lever D strikes a fixed stop C, swinging the lever forward. As the lever swings forward the roll D' acts against the inclined cam-surface D on the lever and swings the rear end of the lever downward until the roll enters the recess D and latches the lever in position with jaw D raised preparatory to the next forward stroke.

I prefer to so construct the fixed gage that it extends on both sides of the gripper, and this I do by providing the gage with a slot C, through which the gripper reciprocates. The most efiicient action is also obtained, especially when acting on their sheets, by having the slot just wide enough for the passage of the gripper-jaw.

The edge of the sheet may be stiffened to avoid danger of crumpling or bending the edge of a thin sheet by its engagement with the fixed gage by forming a transverse buckle or bend in the edge of the sheet. To accomplish this, I recess the lower jaw D and form the upper jaw I) to enter the recess. I also provide a buckling-plate I) back of the roll for cooperating with the jaw D and roll D in forming the bend or buckle in the sheet. This feature is of especial importance in acting upon thin and soft paper, but may be omitted in cases where the paper is sufliciently stiff to resist the drawing action of the grippers without bending.

WVhere, as in the application of the invention shown, the sheet is fed into position in front of the fixed gage in a direction at right angles to the movement of the gripper, I prefer to so arrange the gripper that when retracted it will be at one side of the path of the sheet, as indicated in Fig. 3. With the gripper thus arranged it cannot interfere with proper movements of the sheets and requires no special construction or devices for insuring the entrance of corner and edge of the sheet between the gripping-jaws as the sheet is fed into position. In case the sheet is fed into position in front of the fixed gage in a direc tion parallel to the movement of the gripper the location of the gripper with relation to the edge of the sheet during the feed of the sheet is not of so much importance.

The bar E may be reciprocated by any suitable mechanism; but I prefer to employ for this purpose a simple and efficient mechanism which I have devised and which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This mechanism consists of a spiral segment E, arranged to engage a spiral rack E formed upon the end of the bar E. The bar is guided in bearings E and as the segment E is oscillated the bar is reciprocated in a direction parallel to the axis of the segment. The segment is oscillated from a rocklever E*, which is operated from any suitable moving part of the machine through a connecting-rod E The rock-lever is connected with the segment by a link E, one end of which is connected to the segment and the other end of which is connected to a jaw E on the rock-lever.

To enable the sheets to be registered at either side of the table A, two sets of registeringgrippers are provided, the set which is out of use being turned up out of the way, as shown in Fig. 1. In changing the register from one side to the other the timing of the reciprocating bar E must be reversed. To enable this to be done quickly and conveniently, I provide the rock-lever E" with two pins E, arranged diametrically opposite each other. By shifting the end of the connecting-link E from one pin to the other the timing of the movement of the bar E will be reversed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sheet-registering mechanism the combination of a fixed gage, a reciprocating gripper one of whose jaws is a roll, means for advancing the gripper to grasp the sheet and for retracting the gripper to carry the edge of the sheet against the gage, substantially as described.

2. In a sheet-registering mechanism the combination of a fixed gage, of a reciprocating gripper comprising a fixed jaw and a roll movable to and from said jaw, and means for operating said gripper to grasp the sheet and draw it against said gage, substantially as described.

3. In a sheet-registering mechanismthe combination of a fixed gage, and a reciprocating gripper comprising a recessed jaw, a roll IIO combination with a reciprocating bar of devices for engaging the sheets carried by said bar, a spiral rack on said bar, and an oscillating spiral segment engaging said rack, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I FRANK L. CROSS. Witnesses:

IRA L. FIsI-r,

KATHARINE A. DUGAN. 

